Natalie
by Colorain
Summary: A new student makes her way to the Institute. How original, right? First three or four chapters introduction to Natalie. PG-13 for extensive deaths.
1. The Very First Time-The Fateful Day

Disclaimer: Of course I don't own _X-Men: Evolution_. I do own Natalie and Byron and other various characters not associated with the X-Men at the moment. The first few chapters explain Natalie's background a bit, with a brief mention of the X-Men probably happening around Chapter 3 or 4 or so. I'm sorry that the writing seems awfully choppy, but you have to realize this part is from Natalie's memories, and it's how she's perceiving things. If you have any questions about Natalie's background, a lot will be explained in more detail after she meets the X-Men, so while I appreciate your questions, I think most will be answered later on in the fic. If you'd like to archive this, just e-mail me and ask.

Natalie

The first time she could remember it happening was that day on the playground, eight years ago.

She had been seven at the time, and it was the day that changed her life forever.

Natalie had always been a bit of a loner. It wasn't that she didn't have friends-she did have a few-but she found that she couldn't seem to relate to anyone. She knew she was different; she just didn't know how or why.

She stood quietly alone by the edge of the playground. As she looked around, she noticed two big groups at opposite ends of the playground. Natalie frowned. The Blues and the Cards, rival gangs. Usually they got along pretty well on school ground-it was practically a neutral zone-but she had a bad feeling that today was going to be different.

It hit her unexpectedly. The world seemed to fall away and her vision narrowed. She was aware that she was unable to move, and then the vision overtook her.

In her mind, she saw the Blues and the Cards heading toward each other, pulling out guns. There were little kids, her age, between them. She recognized a few, a friend named Destiny in particular. They were shooting now-_Destiny, look out!_-and then a bunch of boys playing around knocked into her, running away and it was over.

Across the playground, the African girl known as Destiny looked up as though she had heard Natalie's mental cry. But she shook it off and lowered her head again, intent on her playing.

As soon as Natalie was aware that she could move again, she ran haltingly to the teacher on recess duty, half-stumbling and tripping from overly sore muscles.

"Ms. Larson!" she called. "Ms. Larson, something's going to happen-" But Ms. Larson cut her frantic ramblings short, shushing her.

"Nothing's going to happen, Natalie, now don't be silly-" Shots rang out, and Ms. Larson turned. She saw the two gangs and pushed Natalie to the ground. People were screaming now, and Natalie saw Destiny fall to the ground as well. But Destiny wasn't safe, Destiny wasn't all right, because Destiny was dead and other kids were falling too, shot and killed in the crossfire.

Suddenly Natalie started screaming, because the feeling had washed over her again, and she couldn't shut her mouth to stop the screaming.

Again she had a vision, only it wasn't about Destiny this time, it was her parents and they were screaming too because a car had hit them and they were dying, dead-

Natalie was still screaming when they put her in the ambulance that had come and took her off to the hospital for examination.


	2. The Pickup Truck-The Boy Named Byron

Disclaimer: Of course I don't own _X-Men: Evolution_. I do own Natalie and Byron and other various characters not associated with the X-Men at the moment. The first few chapters explain Natalie's background a bit, with a brief mention of the X-Men probably happening around Chapter 3 or 4 or so. I'm sorry that the writing seems awfully choppy, but you have to realize this part is from Natalie's memories, and it's how she's perceiving things. If you have any questions about Natalie's background, a lot will be explained in more detail after she meets the X-Men, so while I appreciate your questions, I think most will be answered later on in the fic. If you'd like to archive this, just e-mail me and ask.

Natalie

Natalie Bantrillo had never heard the word "mutant" before she was ten. She didn't realize she was one until she was thirteen. While she couldn't explain the eerie visions that sometimes came to her, and always foreshadowed some kind of disaster, she had simply thought they were coincidences. Strange and unusual coincidences, but coincidences all the same. Then she met Byron.

She had been walking down the street back to her foster home one summer night when she felt the now-familiar rigor freeze her muscles. As the world dropped away, she saw a handsome boy, lost in thought, unconsciously turn closer to the curb. A man in a pickup truck leaned out the window to yell an insult to someone. His hand slipped on the wheel, and he hit the boy head on.

When feeling returned to her body, she saw the boy already near the curb and the truck barreling toward him.

"Hey!" she shouted, even as she ran to him. The boy turned to Natalie, confused, and turned back to see the pickup truck almost right on top of him, and began to stiffen. Natalie reached him just before the truck did, and tried to drag him away. It was hard, since he was so heavy and unyielding, but she managed to pull him over a few feet before he fell over on top of her.

__

I can't breathe, she thought, somewhat bemused, as she turned her head sideways just in time to see the pickup truck up on the curb and bounce harmlessly back off it into the street. It roared off without the driver bothering to see if the kid was all right.

A crowd was beginning to gather. Suddenly the boy went limp on her. Pushing a bit with her trapped hands, she managed to roll him off her and onto the pavement. The contact with the stone seemed to bring him to, and he grunted as he sat up.

He noticed the crowd, interest already waning as they realized nothing was going to happen, begin to dissipate as rapidly as they had gathered. He also noticed Natalie lying on the sidewalk next to him. Remembrance flashed in his eyes, and he pulled Natalie up to a sitting position beside him.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked her.

"I could ask you the same question," she answered, and attempted to flex her muscles. They always hurt after a vision, and having a living rock fall on her hadn't helped much.

"If I had known you were going to be this heavy, I might have fallen on top of _you_," she continued, then blushed as she realized how that sounded.

The boy looked pained for a moment. "Sorry," he muttered. Then he laughed as he noticed what Natalie had said. Natalie usually didn't laugh, but tonight she joined in.

Their laughter rang out in the night, and for one moment, Natalie thought everything was perfect. She didn't want anything to change.

"Hey, what's your name?" he asked suddenly. "If I'm gonna have a fair maiden rescue me, I'm gonna need to know what her name is."

"Why?" Natalie inquired.

"So I can get her phone number and call her," he said. "I'm Byron."

This time Natalie blushed even more than before. She was glad it was dark out, otherwise he might have seen it.

Byron held out a piece of paper and a pen to her, and Natalie reluctantly took it. On it she scribbled _Natalie Bantrillo, and you can't have my number cause my foster mom'll kill me._

Damn, she thought. _Just as I make a connection, it won't work out._ She gave Byron back the pen and paper and ran off into the night.


End file.
